Rail anchor



Oct. 151929. F. M. S-LOUGH 1,731,595

RAIL ANCHOR Filed May 23, 1928 Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED] STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK M. SLOUGH, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN FORK 86 HOE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO Barr. ANCHOR Application filed May 23,

My invention relates to rail anchors and re lates particularly to that type of rail anchors known as one-piece anchors.

Rail anchors of different types have heretofore been proposed for use, among these, one type is represented by the anchor disclosed in the patent to Fair,'No. 1,864,263, and the other-being represented by the patent to Cooper, No. 1,618,576, Fig. 4 of the Cooper patent showing a practical embodiment of the latter type. The anchor of the Fair patent is representative of that class having as a principal advantage, a one-piece construction, thereby effecting a simplicity in manufacture, and in handling that is very desirable. The anchor of the Cooper patent represents another class wherein two pieces are required with certain resulting advantages.

In anchors of both of the aforesaid classes, there is a similarity in that both are attached to the rail by a pair of rail flange embracing jaws disposed at the one side of the rail 'engaging respectively the lower and'uppersurfaces of the embraced rail flange, whereas the contact had with the other rail'flange does not include, to any great degree at least, an embrasure of the rail flange so far as its upper surface is concerned.

A distinction arises, however, in the following important particular, namely, that whereas in the above referred to one-piece type of anchor the upward thrust of an opposite end of the anchor is communicated solely from the end having the flange embracing jaws through the integral bar extending from the flange, whereas in the type oftwo-piece anchor represented by the Cooper design above referred to, this action is supplemented by the transverse bar being made more resil ient and being made downwardly bowed and being provided with an upwardly thrusting support comprising a stirrup pendant from the rail flange embracing jaws and an arm extending upwardly therefrom to engage the under side of the downwardly bowed resilient arm.

Such an arrangement has been found effective in practice for several reasons. First, it effects a greater ease of application of the 1928. Serial No, 279,862.

anchor to the rail. Second a better grip on the rail is more easily had.

An object of the present invention, there'- fore, is to provide in a one-piece anchor the advantages heretofore had in anchors of the two-piece types represented by the said Cooper anchor. i 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a one-piece anchor adapted to effect a better grip upon a rail base flange for a greater ease of application thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved one-piece anchor, of efficient sturdy construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved one-piece anchor possessing the aforesaid advantages and in which provision is made for ample surface contact with a stationary abutment.

Another object of my invention is to provide an anchor of the type aforesaid in'which the rail gripping effect is increased over other anchors commonly in use.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will beoomeapparent from the following description of certain embodi- Inents thereof and in which description reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates in perspective an embodiment of my invention shown attached to a rail base flange;

Fig. 2 illustrates an elevational view of the anchor of Fig. 1 detached from the rail;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the anchor of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of a modified form of anchor embodying my invention, shown attached to a rail;

gig. 5 is a plan view of the anchor of Fig. 4; an

Fig. 6 is a View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, in all of which like parts are designated bylike reference characters, a rail 1, having a base 2 and oppositely extending lateral flanges 3 and 1 is shown in Fig. 1 as supporting a rail anchor having a driving-on head 5, reach bar 6, and retaining claw 7. The head 5 comprises a pair of jaws 8 and 9 embracing the lateral portions of the rail base flange 4 by their top and bottom surfaces and the inner surfaces of the jaws are preferably formed to snugly fit the rail base flange. The driving-on head 5 comprises, besides the rigid jaws 8 and 9, a substantially rigid stirrup 10. Between the jaw 8 and the stirrup 10 a r silient preferably flattened reach bar 6 er tends for a length suificient to permitits upturned claw 7 to engage the lateral surface 11 of the rail base flange 3 in portions preferably disposed above the lower edge corner 12 of the base flange.

The form of the rail anchor may, for general purposes, be likened to that of a modified letter or a modified letter T with the head 5 forming the joint element of the triple arms 8, 6 and 10, forming the upper aw, the reach bar and stirrup of the anchor, respectively. Comparing the form of the anchor unattached, shown in F ig. 2, with the form taken attached to a rail, illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the reach bar is more abruptly bowed inits normal unattached form and that the claw 7 is more inclined to a line subtending the inner bowed surface, such as, for instance, represented by the bottom 13 of the rail base, Fig.1, and the dotted line 130, indicated in Fig. 2 for comparative purposes.

The rail anchor of my invention is attacher to the rail first by loosely placing the jaws 8 and 9 relatively loosely over the rail base flange 4 and perhaps tapping the convex outer surface 14 of the anchor lightly with a hammer to produce a preliminary movement of the claw 7 along the bottom surface 13 of the rail base toward the corner 12 of the rail base flange 3. The anchor driving-on head isstruck a hard blow from the direction indicated by the arrow D against the face 14 and the resilient arm 6 will be faxed to tend to straighten it and this flexing action will be largely contributed to by the communication of flexing force by the end 15 of the upturned stirrup 10 to the under side of the intermediate portion of the bowed reach bar 6 and normally the force of the blow will tend to move the claw 7 outwardly from the head 5 so that it will be snapped upwardly over the rail base flange 3.

I preferably form the anchor so as to enable a low driving contact surface to accomplish a maximum lifting effort on the reach ar 6 to sweep the claw 7 over the rail flange. This contributes to ready placement of the anchor on the rail.

The anchor will thereupon be securely clamped to the rail and maintained in place by the resiliency, alone, of the reach bar 6 distorted from its normal downwardly bowed form, illustrated in F 2, to the more flattened form, illustrated in Fig. 1, and the form of Fig. 1 will be maintained by the inlower portion of the driving-on head 5 and the corresponding lateral surface of the stirrup 10 with a rail tie,-such as that shown at 15, or other fixed abutment of the railway in the usual manner. Orthe anchor of the foregoing figures is adapted to be placed between the jaws of a two-way abutment such as that illustrated in the patent to Scholes, No. 1,607,644, dated Nov. 23, 1926.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 6, I

preferably relieve the intermediate surfaces of the jaws 8 and 9 so that bearing contact with the upper andlower surfaces of the rail flan es will be intensified toward the sides of die j aws; This provides for the jaw 8 a pair of teeth and'26 and for the jaw 9 a pair of teeth 27 and 28, with shallow grooves preferably provided intermediate the teeth of each pair.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, I illustrate therein an embodiment of my invention wherein the jaw portion 8 comprises an upper jaw 19 and a'lower jaw 20, portions of the contacting inner surfaces of the said jaws being inclined to one another, preferably slightly more than the relative inclination of the surfaces 17 and 18 of the rail flange with which surfaces the inner surfaces of the jaws are adapted to make a tight fitting contact. I preferably vary the relative angularity of the different inner surface portions of the jaws 19 and 20, also, from the edge 21 to the edge 22 thereof; that is, these surfaces will be disposed relative to each other at a more acute angle in portions more nearly adjacent the edge 22 than the edge 21.

I preferably dispose the surfaces adjacent i the edge 21 so that, for instance, they make relatively loose fitting contact with the surfaces 17 and 18 of the rail flange and then progressively make the angularity in portions progressively nearer the edge 22 of the jaws more acute, so that the jaws in portions relatively nearer the edge 22 will resist being driven on to the edge of the rail flange more than will portions progressively nearer the jaw edge 21. 1

The stirrup 34 is projected from the side of the rib 33 and extends longitudinally beneath the arm to an intermediate point substantially as shown. The action is sub stantially the same as that described for the preceding embodiment.

I In driving the rail anchor to'take the position as illustrated, this difference in angularity will result in the anchor thrusting the tongue or intermediate portion 30 slightly diagonal to a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rail, so that the the jaws 19 and 20 have their rail flange gripping portions disposed at a more acute angle towards their edge 22 than towards the edge 21 of the jaws.

During the driving on of the anchor, the

more acutely inclined portions of the jaws towards the edge 22 will act as a fulcrum to cause a swinging of the anchor thereon to slightly incline the tongue 30 as shown in Fig. 5, this being accomplished by the tendency of the jaws 19 and 20 to fit snugly against the rail flange in all portions, when driven thereon; also this condition will be accentuated whenever the rail tends to move in such a direction as to thrust the flange 32 against the tie 33, since the angularity between the lines 23 and 24c will be increased, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Therefore, the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5, is more particularly adapted fora oneway anchor, whereas the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, is adapted for use for two-way anchoring the rails, or expressed differently, is adapted to anchor the rail regardless of whether the one side or the other side of the anchor is placed adjacent the tie towards which the trains traversing the rail move.

The rail anchors of my invention may be made in any suitable way, but I preferably make them by forging or by welding the reach arm to the driving head which preferably would be, in such a case, separately formed.

Having thus described my invention in cer-' tain specific embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiments herein illustrated and described, but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 7

1. In an integrally formed one-piece rail anchor, a driving head of generally E-form with three laterally extending arms, the intermediate arm comprising a downwardly bowed resilient transversely flattened reach bar adapted to be extended transversely beneath a rail and terminating in an upwardly extending retaining flange, said flange adapted to be engaged with the lateral surface of a rail flange, the top and intermediate arms forming relatively rigid hook jaws adapted to be driven onto-the other rail flange to embracingly engage its upper and lower surfaces, the bottom arm extending transversely beneath the rail and having a portion extended upwardly to engage the bottom surface of the reach bar to support it against the power of its inherent resiliency, tending to how it.

2. In an integrally formed one-piece rail anchor, a driving head of generally E-form with three laterally extending arms, the intermediate arm comprising a downwardly bowed resilient transversely flattened reach bar adapted to be extended transversely beneath a rail and terminating in an upwardly extending retaining flange, said flange adapted to be engaged with the lateral surface of a rail flange, the top and intermediate arms forming relatively rigid hook jaws adapted to be driven onto the other rail flange to emracingly en age its upper and lower surfaces, the bottom arm extending transversely beneath. the rail and having a portion extended upwardly to engage the bottom surface of the reach bar to support it against the power of its inherent resiliency, tending to bow it, one of said jaws comprising a pair of laterally spaced jaw teeth.

3. In an integrally formed one-piece rail anchor, a driving head of generally E form with three laterally extending arms, the intermediate arm comprising a downwardly bowed resilient transversely flattened reach bar adapted to be extended transversely beneath a rail and terminating in an upwardly extending retaining flange, said flange adapted to be engaged with the lateral surface of a rail flange, the top and intermediate arms forming relatively rigid hook aws adapted to be driven onto the other rail flange to embracingly engage its upper and lower surfaces, the bottom arm extending transversely beneath the rail and having a portion extended upwardly to engage the bottom surface of the reach bar to support it against the power of its inherent resiliency, tending to bow it, the two said jaws each comprising a pair of spaced jaw teeth.

4:. A one-piece rail anchor comprising a driving head of approximately C-form, a reach bar integrally joined to an intermediate portion of the inner surface of the head and projected between the terminating claw portions thereof, said head comprising a pair of jaw surfaces on the under surface of the upper claw and adjacent the upper surfaces of the reach bar, respectively, said jaws other as to effect an upward tilting of the free end of the reach bar when the head is driven onto the rall base flange and a retaining hook on the free end of the reach bar adapted to be snapped upwardly into retaining engagement base flange.

5. A one-piece ra1l anchor comprising a with the lateral surfaces of the opposite rail ing in a shoulder adaptedfor engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my driving head of approximately C-form, a signature this 19th day of May, 1928..

reach bar integrally joined to an intermediate portion of the inner surface of the head and projected. between the terminating claw portions thereof, said head comprising a pair of jaw surfaces on the under surface of the upper claw and adjacent the upper surface of the reach bar, respectively, said jaws adapted to receive a lateral rail base flange onto which the head is driven, said jaws being so formed and relatively spaced from each other as to effect an upward tilting of the free end of the reach bar when the head is driven onto the rail base flange and a retaining hook on the free end of the reach bar adapted to be snapped upwardly into retaining engage ment with the lateral surfaces of the opposite rail base flange, the bottom claw of the driving head having an upwardly projected portion adapted to engage with the lower surface of the reach bar when the head is tilted responsive to the driving of the head onto the rail base flange as aforesaid.

6; A one-piece rail anchor comprising a driving head of approximately Gform, a reach bar integrally joined to an intermediate portion of the inner surface of the head and projected between the terminating claw portions thereof, said head comprising a pair of jaw surfaces on the under surface of the up per claw and adjacent the upper surfaces of the reach bar, respectively, said jaws adapted to receive a lateral rail base flange onto which the head is driven, said jaws being so formed and relatively spaced from each other as to effect an upward tilting of thefree end of the reach bar when the head is driven onto the rail base flange and a retaining hook on the free end of the reach bar adapted to be snapped upwardly into retaining engagement with the lateral surfaces of the opposite rail base flange, the bottom claw of the driving head having an upwardly projected-portion adapted to engage with the lower surface of the reach bar when the head is tilted responsive to the driving of the head onto the rail base flange as aforesaid, said reach bar comprising an intermediate spring portion adapted to be sprung upwardly by upward pressure of the said lower claw portion to effect a slight longitudinal extension of the hooked end of the reach bar.

7 A rail anchor of integral construction, of substantially E-form, comprising an intermediate elongated resilient tongue, the other arms with the joining intermediate portion being of substantially C-form, at least one of said other arms adapted to cooperate with an opposing surface portion of the intermediate arm to form a pair of rail base embracing jaws, the end of the said tongue arm terminat- FRANK M. SLOUGH. 

